this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2025
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Texas Republicans have voted to track down and arrest dozens of Democratic legislators who have fled the state to block passage of a partisan redistricting plan.

The vote passed by 85 to 6, following Republican Governor Greg Abbott's threat of bribery charges against the absent Democrats.

After the vote, the governor ordered state troopers "to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans".

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[–] reliv3@lemmy.world 45 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The irony of a Republican lawmaker trying to make this point is unbelievable...

[–] Soapbox@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 days ago

Ugh, Ken Paxton. I didn't think there could be a worse senator from Texas than Ted Cruz, but Paxton is sure gonna try.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 43 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Hopefully, Texas police realize they’re being given an unlawful order and arrest the dickweed who issued it.

LOL. Texas police don’t have brains.

[–] shai_hulud@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

More importantly, they don't have jurisdiction.

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 30 points 3 days ago

Texas Democrats should tell Piss Baby Abbott that they all went to Cancun cause of their families. Worked for Rafael Cruz.

[–] Zer0_F0x@lemmy.world 48 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Y'all are one Reichstag fire away from invading Poland

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 24 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Hi from Canada, we're likely Poland in Nazi Boogaloo 2.

[–] Zer0_F0x@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago (2 children)

All I'm saying is that Canada and Mexico are going to need to step up their border defense game, just in case

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 13 points 3 days ago (7 children)

That's gonna suck all around; America already does poorly with insurgencies, let's see them fight one against their closest neighbour, who speak the same language, look the same, and follow most of the same culture.

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[–] jve@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Is this the long con to get Mexico to pay for the wall?

[–] meep_launcher@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Y'all-qaeda is going to have to get through us northerners first, and there are some of us who have been preparing . 🔫🫡

I for one am not going to let my country's army take a meter of my extended family's homeland as long as I'm above ground. Also good luck on suppressing and insurgency in Chicago before heading north.

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[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 337 points 5 days ago (1 children)

From another article about this, oh the irony:

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, who fled his own impeachment hearings and refused a court order to release his travel records after speaking at the rally in Washington that preceded the January 6 insurrection, has described wayward Democratic legislators as “cowards”.

[–] Tja@programming.dev 83 points 5 days ago

Voters don't care, why should they act differently?

[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Naturally setting precedent for when Republicans do the same?

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They don't plan on having fair elections anymore, they will never get the chance. If they can rig/win the midterm it's basically game over for the US.

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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 29 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Who exactly has abandoned their duty to Texas? The people eroding democracy in Texas. Abbot you fuckhead!

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 50 points 4 days ago (13 children)

I like it when basement dwellers say Democrats don't do anything while they're literally having arrest warrants issued for them because they're trying to prevent fascists from seizing more power.

I also like how these basement dwellers are completely unaware of any of the bills Democrats have passed that have massively helped average Americans because their goal is to whine, not educate themselves.

[–] turtlesareneat@discuss.online 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Passing bills is not enough. You need to “bring a knife to a knife fight” and Dems themselves say they’ve been bringing pencils up till now.

I love this new more feisty Democratic Party but it’s a new thing.

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[–] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 81 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Only four states, TX, IN, TN, and OR, have rules like this that require 2/3rds of members be present for legislation to be passed. The republicans in Oregon have done it so often that the voters passed (with 70% of the vote) a law that states that any legislator with 10 or more unexcused absences from votes cannot run for office again.

Democrats in Texas have done this to stop redistricting that could result in a fascist take over of the country. Republicans in OR have done this six times since 2019. They did it to block legislation on gun safety, reproductive health, education funding, cap and trade, COVID-19 restrictions, and once on redistricting.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 days ago

Both sides are the same though amirite

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[–] Taco2112@lemmy.world 149 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Monday's vote was mostly symbolic, according to the Texas Tribune, as the warrants only apply within state lines. 

The move empowers the chamber's sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest the absent lawmakers and deliver them to the state capitol building in Austin.

They would not face any civil or criminal charges as a result of the warrant, the newspaper reports.

So basically it’s toothless posturing and only real consequences is that they get sent to the state capitol to go back to work.

[–] GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world 63 points 5 days ago (7 children)

Only immediate consequences. The gerrymandering they want to pass has the potential to screw the state and country depending on how the gerrymandering works and is perceived to work. I'm afraid this may make our voting numbers go down even more.

No telling what can happen if Republicans achieve their goal of solidifying a bigger majority in the US House. We've already seen that Texans are willing to keep Cruz in the senate, rather than spend 30 minutes voting.

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[–] lectricleopard@lemmy.world 26 points 5 days ago

Well, that serves their goal at the moment. That may change. After having so easily made this posturing move, next time, they will have this language available to them, with more severe and less legal consequences.

In my head, I keep going back to that fascist guy that Medhi Hasan got sat down with. These fuckers would pick up the ball and run with it in a soccer game, chuck the ball in the goal, keep their own score and time, then jog off the field pumping up the 10% of the crowd that's on their side.

It'd be funny if they were just deluded, but they are setting it up so they can deport or arrest anyone that doesn't cheer.

[–] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 52 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Arresting political dissidents lol

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[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 97 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

After the vote, the governor ordered state troopers "to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans".

So which trooper is going to be brave enough to follow the governor’s orders and arrest him?

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 54 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Has Rafael fled to Cancun yet?

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[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 35 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Yes arrest them for not helping subvert democracy to keep an illegitimate fascist in power. "States rights", party of "freedom", my ass. Bunch of nazi clowns.

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[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

Too bad they don't have a quorum...

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago

Gregg Abbott is un-American because he refuses to stand for the national anthem. And I also hear he’s a little piss baby.

[–] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 57 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Wow there’s no way the American people will stand for this.

lol j/k of course they will.

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[–] bookmeat@lemmynsfw.com 36 points 5 days ago (6 children)

How is the vote legitimate if there's no quorum?

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[–] TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 14 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Isn't this why they left the state in the first place? I fully expect Trump to employ ICE to track them down and bring them back, though and regardless of how illegal that is.

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[–] solrize@lemmy.ml 31 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Didn't this exact same thing happen some years ago? Dems went on the lam and were found in a hotel across the state line a few days later.

Edit: found it, 2021. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/special-session/texas-democrats-leave-state-redistricting-quorum/269-6919f7c5-ec57-49a6-bc3a-ad7cf84aa683

[–] Vorticity@lemmy.world 25 points 4 days ago

Also in 2003. In fact, that time was due to the GOP doing the same redistricting shit they're doing now!

[–] kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 days ago

Definitely shouldn't look up OR and the six times Republicans have done this in the last few years.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

Tx repugs are stupid beyond imagining

[–] Dorkyd68@lemmy.world 20 points 4 days ago

This dude wants to talk about duty to Texans? Wow man

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] figjam@midwest.social 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Do you think that is honestly going to stop them?

[–] IzzyJ@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Gas chambers will be up and running before most of us even realize we're using fascism. Wish I could find like ab ubternenchen survival guide

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